This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application Number 2003-274391 filed Jul. 15, 2003, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a heating cooker for commercial use which conducts heating control according to each cooking menu.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, heating cookers such as fryers used in fast food restaurants, have a structure where cooking parameter such as cooking time and cooking temperature is set according to each cooking menu in order to notify termination of cooking at an appropriate time.
As shown in FIG. 3, a fryer 1 has a casing 2, which includes an oil vat 3 filled with cooking oil for frying foods (hereinafter, simply referred to as oil), a pulse burner 5 is provided within the oil vat 3 for heating the oil.
This fryer 1 has a cooking controller 10 for frying foods according to each cooking menu.
The cooking controller 10 has an operation display panel 20 with which a user conducts cooking operations, and a microcomputer 100 which stores a heating control program for each cooking menu item and controls heating operation according to user's instructions through the operation display panel 20.
As shown in FIG. 4, the operation display panel 20 has an operation button 19 for switching start/end of the heating operation of the fryer, cooking menu buttons B1-B12 with which the user can select various cooking menus, a changeover switch B13 for alternating displays of the display portion, and a display panel 30 for displaying information such as a cooking menu, time, etc.
The microcomputer 100 stores cooking parameter such as cooking temperature and cooking time for each cooking menu item. Based on the stored parameter, the microcomputer conducts heating control of the oil.
A system and method of operating the fryer 1, while the fryer carries out a previously set cooking menu (hereinafter, this condition is referred to as “normal mode”), will be briefly explained.
First, when the operation button 19 is pushed after oil is poured into the oil vat 3, the pulse burner 5 starts combustion to heat the oil. Then the microcomputer 100 maintains oil temperature at a set temperature based on an output signal from a temperature sensor 23 provided with the oil vat 3.
Then when one of the cooking menu buttons B1-B12 is pushed after foods are placed in a cooking basket, the microcomputer 100 starts a cooking timer to start heat cooking according to the selected menu button. When cooking is finished, an alarm device sounds to notify the user.
As described above, as heat cooking can be conducted with only selecting a predetermined cooking menu on the operation display panel 20 in the normal mode, foods are cooked in the consistent condition regardless of the user and standardized foods can be always served in fast food restaurants, etc.
Further, other than carrying out a cooking menu which is previously set, a new cooking menu can be set and cooking parameter for the existing cooking menu can be changed in the fryer 1.
Further, the fryer 1 has a configuration where these additional setting or change of cooking parameter (hereinafter, this condition is referred to as “program mode”) can be carried out on the operation display panel 20.
However, a problem can occur in this program mode, that is, if the cooking parameter can be easily changed in a program mode, the cooking quality can not be maintained at a certain level.
In order to solve the problem, U.S. Pat. No. 5,398,597 discloses a fryer in which a program mode is usually locked, and only accessible when a pair of buttons on an operation display panel 20 is pushed for a predetermined time.
The above configuration prevents an inadvertent change of cooking parameter by a user's inappropriate operation.
In addition, when a method for accessing the program mode is kept secret from unauthorized users, it prevents the unauthorized users from changing the parameter easily.
However, the above technology still has some problems. First, as operation to access the program mode is simple, it is easy for all users to find out how to access the program mode by watching the operation. Moreover, the operation to access the program mode is unchangeable.
Specifically, even an unauthorized user can easily access to the program mode when he watches his supervisor's operation, and he can change the cooking parameter of each cooking menu any number of times.
Moreover, operation to access to the program mode is carried out only on the operation display panel. Due to this, a supervisor who is in charge of a plurality of stores has to visit all the stores in order to change the cooking parameter concerning each cooking menu of all the stores.